It appears that pigs may soon be flying over Espoo, Finland. That is to say, what many thought would be an impossibility after the acquisition of Nokia’s Handset division by Microsoft may be coming true. Nokia appears to be developing a smartphone.
Back in mid November 2014, Nokia surprised the Tech world with the N1 Android tablet. Sporting classic Nokia design, high end specs and running Androids Lollipop, the N1 has already be dubbed as the iPad killer. However, it appears that Nokia was not done with the just N1 tablet. Recent leaks have found documentation that show Nokia is planning on releasing a smartphone, dubbed the Nokia C1.
Before we delve into the specifications of the Nokia C1. you may ask how is this possible, since the terms of the acquisition stated that Nokia would not enter the Smartphone space until 2016. The answer could be that the Nokia C1 will be available in both Android and Windows Phone variants. By allowing the device to run Microsoft’s OS, Nokia may have found a loophole in this agreement. But until the details of the Nokia C1 are announced, and confirmed by Microsoft, we can only speculate.
The specifications of the Nokia C1 will match the upper mid tier of phones expected in 2015. As Nokia plans on using the same hardware for both Android and Windows Phone version, no capacitive buttons will be used on the front face of the device. This will be similar to the HTC One M8 implementation. Like the Nokia N1, production will be outsourced to a Chinese ODM, possibly Foxconn. An interesting note on the design of the Nokia C1 is how closely it resembles the iPhone 6. This follows the same design language used in the N1, which many would mistake for an iPad.
Nokia C1 Specifications
Operating System – Android 5.0 Lollipop (with Nokia’s Z Launcher) or Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2
Screen – 5″ inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display,
CPU – Intel Quad Core 64 Bit processor,
RAM – 3 GB (Android), 2 GB (Windows Phone)
Storage – 32, 64, 128 GB (No information about expandable storage)
Rear Camera – 20.1 MP
Front Camera – 5 MP
Battery – 3100 mAh
Why would Nokia want to release a smartphone after selling their handset business to Microsoft? Simply the strength of the Nokia brand coupled with an explosive market of Android devices proved too irresistible for Nokia. However this development leaves many questions unanswered?
- Will Microsoft approve of new Nokia branded devices before the 2016 agreement?
- If the Nokia C1 is released, how will Microsoft / Nokia manage customer communication on where users should go for support? This has the potential for create an incredible amount of confusion for users, especially with two version of Nokia branded Windows Phone that are supported by different companies.
- Will Nokia transition into a mobile device design house and continue to make devices, or focus on their network and navigation businesses?
We don’t have the answer to these questions as well as other pertinent details like price, release date and market availability. But you can be sure that Techweez will keep you informed as soon as we find out. Until then, we would love to hear what you think the Nokia C1 by commenting below.
Souce – Tabtech,de
